Worthy of my Recognition
by Articulate Darkness
Summary: -And he couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, "I can't remember because I try so hard to forget everything about you." These are 100 one-shots for rivals Ash and Paul. Shinji x Satoshi; Comashipping-
1. Strangers

This is for the LJ Community enemy rival 100. Obviously, as the name of the Comm states, this is for pairs who are rivals or enemies. So I choose Paul and Ash, because they'd just be that fun to write about. So the chapters I'll be doing will range from angst, to humor, to whatever. Some may be in first person, and others might be in third person. K+ to M (overall, I'm rating this T to be safe). And I might use their original names as well sometimes.

**Prompt: **001. Strangers  
**Rating: **K+  
**Word Count: **372  
**Genre: **General  
**Summary: **Ash would always wonder why Paul acted as if he didn't know him...

* * *

There were only a few things that Ash really hated: people who mistreated Pokemon, people who stole Pokemon, people who sold Pokemon just to make a quick buck and losing (lately, though, it didn't bother him as much). But none of those matched what he _really_ despised.

"Hey Paul!" And he would just walk right on past him, as if he didn't exist. Ash _hated_ that, he really did. He hated when he tried to show Paul that he was a decent rival and he would always shamefully fall flat on his face.

"Hey Paul, loot at this." Ash would sing out, pulling his badge case from his back pocket, showing arrogantly (or trying to) the five badges he had earned.

A simple 'Hm' would be Paul's reply before asking, "Who are you again?" and walking away to the local PokeMart.

"Just ignore him, Ash," Dawn had said, glaring at the purple-haired trainer's back. "He's not even worth it."

But, damn it, yes he _was_. Ash just absolutely hated it; what would it take for Paul to actually see him a worthwhile opponent? He didn't even know _why_ it irritated him so much.

"Man, what do I have to do, Paul?" Ash asked himself, staring down at his badges. Seven, he had seven, just one more...

"What do you have to do?" A voice questioned from behind him. Ash turned, shoving the case into his pocket. "What do you have to do to be worthy of me?" Paul sneered and narrowed his eyes. "Truth is, am I worth it?"

Ash stared at him with the most stupidest look on his face, "What?"

Paul took out a sleek, black case of his own and flipped it open. Five glimmering, well-polished badges sat there. "This is why I've always treated you as a _stranger_, Ash. Am I really worth it?" He shut it before making his way out of the Sunyshore Pokemon Center.

Victory over Volkner would come easy and placing fourth in the Sinnoh League would be awesome. _But still..._

Ash caught up with him before he exited the center completely. "Paul."

He turned, "What?"

"Who are you again?" Ash grinned.

"That was extremely corny." And...Paul grinned right back.

_...This was definitely more fulfilling._


	2. Sick

**Prompt**: 085. Sickness  
**Genre: **General, very slight horror  
**Rating**: T, cursing, shounen-ai hints  
**Word Count**: 1395  
**Summary**: Even Paul knew that he was, indeed, 'sick'. And Ash would just have to learn to deal with it.

* * *

_It was something I'd noticed since I was a kid--even though I don't like calling it an 'illness', it's classified as one. ...And I always had a simple way of dealing with it..._

_

* * *

_

_Monferno. _Paul sucked his teeth, squeezing the Pokeball he had been holding in his hand. Just thinking about the battle made him _extremely _angry. "You're such a worthless piece of crap." He muttered to it, hardening his glare. _Yeah, Fantina wasn't a simple walk in the park, but that's not a damn excuse for how embarrassingly bad my Pokemon lost to her. _

He placed the Pokeball–along with the rest–on the tray Nurse Joy had provided for him. Paul stayed silent; what he was going to do to them when they recovered. He gave the nurse a nod, trying to act like he'd actually heard what she had said, before walking out of the Pokemon Center.

_What the hell am I supposed to do now? _Paul cursed to himself, narrowing his eyes again and shoving his hands into his pockets as he continued walking. He wanted to hurt something, _anything_, just so that annoying nag would leave him the hell alone. He grinded his teeth; God, it was unbearable, he wanted–needed–that pleasurable feeling. Now.

And the scene kept replaying in his head_; Did I even get at least one of her Pokemon out? I didn't, did I? Ah–_

"That battle was so cool, Ash! I can't believe you won so quickly." The voice was so high-pitched, Paul just had to wince. But the name did catch his attention. Ash, huh? From the corner of his eyes, he saw the trio walk out of...Fantina's gym.

Ash grinned, closing his eyes and crossed his arms, "Aww, it was no big deal, Dawn." He replied in that oh-so casual 'it wasn't _that_ awesome' tone, but Paul knew he was brimming with happiness.

It made him sneer; _This is what I need..._

"Ash." He greeted, using his usual, uncaring voice (it was quite different from the one he would use when they were alone). "You got the Relic Badge, hm?"

Ash looked back at him, the vigor he'd had a few seconds before gone. "Uh...yeah." He replied nervously, but it went unnoticed by everyone else besides, of course, Paul and Pikachu.

The younger trainer smiled, a smile that the other knew all too well. "Congratulations," It was a half-hearted praise, but again it went unnoticed by everyone, except Ash. "Her Mismagius is pretty amazing, hm?"

All he got out of Ash was a nod before Dawn interrupted, visibly annoyed. "What do you want, Paul?"

He crossed his arms, deciding against a smart mouthed comment, "I wanted to know if Ash wanted to follow me to Amity Square."

"Why?"

Paul's glare fell on Brock next, but before he could answer, Ash cut in, "I would, but don't you need '_cute_' Pokemon to enter or something?"

"They allow Happiny, Drifloon, and..._Pikachu_." He smiled that same smile again and looked at him through half-closed eyes, "...What do you say?"

A 'do I have a choice?' stare was given before an, "Alright." was uttered. Ash _knew_ he was going to regret this–something was definitely wrong with Paul–but it was better to deal with now instead of waiting till–

"Good. Come on." Paul took a few steps forward, grabbing one of Ash's hands with his own and pulled him closer. He stared down at him, a small grin slowly appearing on his face.

"Ah, but I was planning to go compete in the contest at the hall," Dawn said in a slightly exasperated tone, raising one of her hands, "I'm so pumped from his gym victory, I really want him to see how much I've improved."

Upon hearing the word 'victory', Paul tensed but kept his back facing the blue-haired coordinator. _So that's it. _The older trainer grimaced and nervously laughed, "I'm sure you'll do fine, Dawn! Besides, you have Brock to cheer you on! I'll be rooting for ya!" He couldn't say much else, because right after that, he was being (literally) dragged to the square. Pikachu remained silent on its trainer's shoulder, feeling the slight tension in the cool, evening air.

"Er...P-Paul," Ash finally spoke up after a few minutes,"So, um–"

"Just keep quiet." He snapped back, not bothering to even look at him, making the other wince but he obeyed. The two (three) walked on in silence and stayed that way as they reached their destination.

_Stupid, why did I agree to follow him? _Ash asked himself, feeling even more nervous as they entered Amity Square. Pikachu jumped off his shoulder and trotted carefully beside him, occasionally muttering a few things in its own language. _He's really angry right now, if that grip on my arm is anything to go by._ Yeah, Ash was in for a hard night.

When they were a ways from all the other trainers and their _cute_ Pokemon, Paul let go of him (well, it was more of a shove than anything else), "How easy was it for you to beat Fantina?" His voice was menacingly low, even Pikachu shrunk back in fear (or was it something else?).

"Uh, heh, it wasn't that easy. Her Gengar was really tough and..." Ash trailed off when Paul slowly turned to face him. And that _look_ was scarier than a raging Gyarados. He took a few steps back, "Paul..."

The said trainer sneered suddenly and kept on with his advance, his fist clenched at his side. "Don't tell me it 'wasn't that easy', _Ash_," He took a few steps closer, warranting a small growl from Pikachu which made him stop. "When I heard that girl say you won the match easily." Paul chuckled somewhat to himself, though it was weak and sounded heavy with self-pity. "I don't understand, I train my damn Pokemon _every_ fucking day, nonstop, yet I lose against that _stupid_ gym leader but _you _win?"

If Ash didn't know any better, he would have thought he was actually tearing up. "It's because–"

"_Shut up_." Paul growled, lashing out suddenly. He took hold of Ash's collar and drew the boy close to him like he had done earlier. He stared down angrily into his eyes, strengthening his grip. "Just shut your mouth, damn it. I don't want to hear your explanation."

"Pika!" The electric mouse let out, its cheeks starting to spark.

Paul took notice from the corner of his eyes and relaxed his hold a little. Coming to the Square with _that_ Pokemon was a bad idea. His attention turned back to Ash; all the things he wanted to _do_ to him, that horrible nagging was making itself apparent again. Damn it, damn that fucking Pikachu.

"I don't get it...then what do you want me to do...?" Ash questioned, trying to squirm out of his grasp.

"Of course you don't get it! You never do, no matter how many times I need you." He snapped back, raising one of his hands, causing Ash to flinch. Instead of delivering a hard smack across his face, Paul placed the palm of his hand on his cheek and lowered his voice. "I'm not going to hit you, Ash. Not like this, not with your Pikachu here, even if I really do want to hurt you."

The tone he used made him shiver, and he opened his eyes with caution, "Then why did you bring me..." He trailed off again as Paul began pushing him back. "Not here. We're _not_ going to do it here."

Paul ignored him and continued forcing him back, his eyes narrowed with a hint of mischief in them and...something else that really disturbed Ash. Pikachu followed closely behind, constantly looking at its trainer, waiting for any signal at all.

"Call it off, Ash." Paul breathed once he had him back against the brick wall (if you could call it one, the poor thing was decimated by vines). "Now."

Ash hesitated at first, but the foggy, enraged look he was getting made him think again. "Pi...Pikachu, it's alright, buddy." But of course that was a damn lie. If Paul couldn't hurt him then that would only leave...

"...I don't know why you do this..."

He was given a sharp laugh (screech would be more appropriate). "I _need_ to do this, or..."

"...Or...?"

Ash never would get an answer...


	3. Not so much Envy as

**Promp**t: 097–_Author's Choice_: Jealousy  
**Genre**: General  
**Rating**: T, cursing  
**Word Count**: 360  
**Summary**: He knew that lure looked familiar; he had a special place in his heart for her...

* * *

Shinji leaned to the side, gazing questioningly at the item in Satoshi's hand. "...Sato...what is that?" It looked oddly familiar, for some reason.

Sparing him a small glance before he continued to set up his rod, Satoshi waited a few seconds before answering, "It's a lure, Shinji. My friend Kasumi made it for me; we used to travel together."

The other trainer stared at it intently, the name causing him to tense up; he knew he had seen that face before. "Let me see it." He demanded, putting out his hand authoritatively.

Satoshi thought it over for a second, though since he didn't want to get into _another_ argument (they've had numerous ones before), he dropped it into the trainer's palm. Shinji brought it close to his face, examining it–or rather, it seemed that way.

"I met her before...once." He murmured; since Shinji wasn't speaking directly to him, Satoshi had to assume that remark was.

"...Really?"

"In Kanto, she's the Hanada City gym leader." He smirked, clenching it in his fist like he was trying to crush it, before suddenly tossing it over his shoulder. Satoshi let out a startled 'Hey!' and was about to crawl after it when Shinji latched his right hand onto his shoulder. "You shouldn't bother using it, Satoshi; you'll only end up catching weak pokemon. Besides," He shrugged, letting him go. "It isn't a very...pretty one, anyway."

Satoshi only rolled his eyes, deciding not to bother replying to his remark. He knew Shinji was just jealous–having one of his 'phases' again. So, instead, he wandered a few feet down, searching through the tall grass for his treasured Kasumi lure.

Shinji stayed where he was, glaring at the small stream in front of him. Contrary to whatever the hell Satoshi may've been thinking, he was _not_ jealous. More of self-loathing (or maybe even embarrassment) than anything else. He sighed to himself, remembering his first battle against her. Kasumi hadn't just beaten him, she'd destroyed him.

...And he had a special place somewhere in his heart for her.

"Ahh! No way, Shinji! You _chipped_ it!"

Though, his angry cry went unnoticed. Why the hell would Shinji care, anyway?


	4. That Lame Watch

Short, like the other one.

**Prompt**: 083: Technology  
**Genre**: General, Romance  
**Rating**: T, cursing  
**Word Count**: 371  
**Summary**: How much did he _love_ him? He'd just leave that to the PokeTch.

That Lame Watch

Paul swatted away the PokeTch that Ash was trying to shove–without any success–in his face.

"Hey! Watch it, Paul. This is Dawn's, ya know." He whined, catching it in midair.

The aforementioned trainer sighed, throwing him an agitated look. "Then don't put that damn thing in my face, _idiot_." He emphasized the last word for an added effect. Though, he only became enraged when it became obvious that Ash wasn't paying any attention to him (and his well thought out insult); nah, his attention was all on that lame watch. Just when Paul had decided to walk away (he wasn't going to cause a scene in the middle of the department store), Ash grabbed onto him, bringing him closer.

"What the hell are you–"

"I want to see how _close_ we are."

Paul only scoffed, unsuccessfully trying to push the boy off him, "That only works Pokemon to Master, _dear_." He mumbled with a condescending tone.

But Ash–since he was smart–pushed the button on the watch, wrapping an arm around him. The shoppers in the store stopped and snickered at them, whispering suggestive comments _very_ loudly; didn't they look like fools?

Paul, visibly irritated, smacked the black haired trainer upside the head. Though, the stupid boy was busy staring dumbly at the watch.

"Well...did it work?" Not like he really cared.

Ash snickered, "Do you like me, hm Paul? You do, don't _you_? Even though you always try to pass off like you don't."

"Of course I...like you." He had to force that out (blush and all); not like it was a lie–they had been getting along with each other.

Ash, with a big grin on his face, brought Dawn's Poketch closer to him. Growling in irritation, Paul smacked the thing to the ground, stomped on it a couple of times and kicked it towards Ash for good measure. This caused him to drop to the floor, overreacting and screaming about how 'Dawn is going to _murder_ me for this!', while Paul just ran down the steps and dashed out of the sore.

Though, probably much to the trainer's embarrassment, the face of the watch still showed it all: a huge red heart–the highest level on that blasted scale.


	5. His Revelation

**Prompt**: 045. Death  
**Genre**: Fits for anguish, but not much of it.  
**Rating**: T, Paul being pathetic, cursing, all that.  
**Word Count**: 3262  
**Summary**: It is when we are greeted with the prospect of death that our greatest epiphanies tend to happen.  
**A/N: **I swear, if this comes out 'cute' or 'fluffy', I'm going to cry myself to sleep. Heh...I've been doing too much fluffy-ness, haven't I? I'm also quite aware that Cirrus clouds don't really float.

His Revelation

_It was all the news he needed before Ash rushed out of the Rest House, beaming with happiness. His companions called after him as they began slipping into their snow outfits that had just been purchased._

"_Ash!" Dawn cried, chasing after the overexcited trainer. "We should just head straight for Snowpoint! If we go searching around Mt. Coronet, we'll miss my Pokemon contest!"_

_The trainer simply turned around slightly, and stopped. "It will be quick, Dawn. C'mon, you know I __**have**__ to catch that rare Pokemon they were talkin' about in there."_

"_There's supposed to be a storm, Ash." Brock muttered as they finally caught up to him. "Wandering out now looking for that Pokemon might be a bad idea. We should wait in the Rest House till–"_

"_No!" The blue-haired coordinator crossed her arms in an 'x', "We can't wait! I can't miss the Pokemon contest. If we just leave now, we'll be in Snowpoint City in no time. And Ash...you can also battle the gym leader too." _

_The sweet smile she shot him didn't phase Ash one bit. Instead, he just rolled his eyes and placed his hands on his hips. Pikachu–currently laying on his trainer's head–sighed. "If you wanna enter the contest so bad, then go. Pikachu and me will be fine by ourselves." _

"_But Ash..." Dawn bit her bottom lip; though she really wanted to be in the contest, she couldn't just leave her best friend. On Mt. Coronet. ...During a snowstorm. "I...I can't. W–"_

"_I'll be alright, Dawn. Just go." He waved her and Brock off, "Me and my Pokemon can handle anything. I promise you guys, I'll be back before sunset."_

_Brock furrowed his eyebrows in concern. "You sure Ash?"_

"_No need to worry, right?" He leaned forward and patted both of his friends on the shoulder. "If it starts to get real bad, we'll just head back to the Rest House. Right, Pikachu?"_

_He nodded in assurance, "Pika pika!"_

"_Oh...if you're sure, Ash...if you're sure." Dawn then put up her hand, "Please be careful, all right? Don't do anything reckless."_

_And the trainer responded with a swift high-five. "It'll be fine. You two get going, I'll be seeing ya'll later." Without saying anymore, Ash turned and began trudging away in the opposite direction._

_His two companions watched on for a few minutes. "...Be careful..."_

སྣྲ

Ash began to idly wonder if the snow-blocked entrance would be able to withstand the forceful winds that were raging outside. It may have worked back that one time in Kanto, but...

His teeth began to chatter again as he thought of how horrible it would be if the snow would give...even if it was just a little...

"Stop that stupid chattering." A stern voice only a few feet away reprimanded.

The teenager only pouted to himself, bringing his knees closer to his face. "Oh, come off it, Paul..." He mumbled, but his annoyed attitude promptly dissipated when he noticed that he could see his breath forming in front of him.

If this went on for much longer...

Damn it, he should have listened to Brock and Dawn–he should have went with them. But the prospect of getting a new, rare Pokemon had been too good to pass up. So good that he even set aside watching Dawn perform in a contest and battling the Snowpoint Gym leader to catch one.

Ash bit his bottom lip, bringing his hands to his mouth. He breathed into them; his companions were going to worry over him now. Thinking back on the situation, he began to feel like a total fool for not going back.

_No need to worry_ indeed...

And now look where it landed him: some small opening on the side of the Coronet summit while a storm whipped around outside. To top it all off, _Paul_ (that arrogant jerk) was also here with him.

It was not worth it, not at all. And what rare Pokemon did he find? Ash groaned to himself before looking off to his right, making sure that Pikachu was still awake.

སྣྲ

"_Damn it, Pikachu! Quick, use Thunderbolt!" Ash commanded as he shielded his eyes from the falling snow. _

_Pikachu immediately dodged the Icy Wind attack by doing a small cartwheel before he began charging some electricity. Within a matter of seconds, he let out a powerful Thunderbolt and aimed it directly at the attacking Pokemon._

_But suddenly, there was a strong gust of wind, steering the attack off course somewhat. The Snover stumbled to the side; it's arm was the only part that was hit from the Thunderbolt. Almost instantly, the ice-type scurried down the side of the snowy mountain, probably intent on escaping the strong Pikachu. _

_Seriously, what kind of Pokemon would want to get its ass whipped?_

_Ash stared angrily as he watched its stumbling descent. Though, his furious demeanor was soon quelled when __**another**__ gust managed to knock him off his feet. With a small cry, he landed none too gracefully on the powdered grass. _

_Pikachu rushed over to him and nudged his side questioningly. When there was no response, he began to charge up another electric attack. _

"_It's okay, Pikachu..." His trainer reassured, picking himself up. With a deep groan, Ash started to wipe the snow from his face. "Buddy...I think we better find some shelter. The snow, it's commin' down harder now."_

_Indeed it was. The sky–brightly colored with splotches of blue, not too long ago–was now a deep, stormy gray. An overcast of thick clouds was currently blocking out all sunlight; might as well had been early in the evening, if one was judging by the darkness. _

_The wind lashed around mercilessly, and the falling snow was coming down every which way, making it almost impossible to see a few feet ahead. _

_...It would probably get worse...no doubt about that. _

_Not wanting to be caught up in the horrible storm (like he'd forgotten what happened back in a few years ago), Ash picked Pikachu up and quickly got to his feet. He knew, not too far from here, there had been a small cave on the summit. He'd just have to look for it again..._

སྣྲ

And that was how he'd landed in this unfortunate situation. Dawn and Brock, no doubt, would be worried if he didn't show up before dark.

"Paul." Ash called out. Though, he didn't get a response; then again, he wasn't really expecting one. "What time is it?"

The other trainer shifted a bit, his former curled-up position changing as he brought his wrist to his face. "...Around five..." He murmured, his voice coming out as a little soft.

Ash blinked, "Paul...are you alright?" He questioned, turning so he could crawl over to him. The purple-haired trainer, at first, said nothing. He simply stayed crouched in the corner of the tiny cave, shivering a little.

When his shoulder was touched, however, Paul shook and lifted his head up, sending the boy an aggravated look. "I'm _fine_."

"You don't look fine."

"Would you leave me alone?" He growled, narrowing his eyes. "Why don't you worry about yourself, and your little Pikachu?"

Ash hesitated. Of course, Pikachu was important...but Paul...he didn't look so good either. Now that he was closer to him, he realized how much he was shaking. And his expression, even though he was trying to look severe, it held no power nor any intensity.

Paul...looked weak...

"Are you really that cold?" He whispered, pulling back so that now he was sitting on his legs. Pikachu crawled up to him and buried himself in his trainer's lap.

"Of course I am." His eyes rolled in annoyance. "Now, do as I said and worry about yourself. Get away from me." Dismissing his older rival with a flick of his hand, Paul turned away and let out another breath.

Just _his_ luck, getting stuck with this brat.

སྣྲ

Seconds dragged by into minutes, and the minutes soon drew into hours. And it only seemed to be getting colder, and the storm's intensity more vicious. It didn't help either that the two teens hadn't spoken a word to each other.

"We should let out one of our Pokemon."

Paul scoffed at the teen's suggestion, "And just how the hell is that going to help our situation?"

"This happened to me back in Kanto."

"And how much of an idiot you are for letting it happen again..."

Ash just ignored that. "We'll just snuggle up together, and we'll keep each other warm." Without another word, the trainer slipped a hand to his belt and pulled out one of his Pokeballs. "Infernape, come on out..."

In a brilliant flash of light that filled the dark cave (it was so bright that the two had to close their eyes), the Pokemon appeared with a loud howl, beating his hands against his chest.

Paul snickered at the sight, "Ah...so it evolved. Again...interesting."

Hearing his former master's voice, Infernape tilted his head and glowered over at him. Paul simply stared back, a sneer slowly appearing on his face.

"Quit it." Ash warned, narrowing his eyes angrily at his Pokemon. "We'll use Infernape's flame to keep us warm. So why don't you come on over?"

"Sorry, I don't _need_ your help, Ash. I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

At that, Infernape snorted and rolled his eyes before moving closer to Ash and Pikachu. The older trainer's stare lingered on the other for a few more seconds; well, if that was the way that he wanted it, then it was all good. Why the hell should he give a crap anyway?

"Suit yourself, Paul."

སྣྲ

God, he didn't want to die. He _really_ did _not_ want to die.

Paul bit his bottom lip and squeezed his hands together; it was getting so cold–his fingers seemed like they were on fire and his toes...he couldn't even move them in his sneakers. Shuddering, he began to pull his arms into his jacket, crossing them.

The snow covering the entrance began to bulk as another heavy wind blew against it. Paul gazed at it before turning his attention over to Ash. His Infernape was currently resting in front of him, while Pikachu was hiding inside his trainer's vest.

And damn, did they look warm. What he would give just to be helplessly tangled in his arms...

Paul closed his eyes and started to rock back and forth; he couldn't fall asleep...he could _not_. If he did...there was no guarantee that he would _ever_ wake up again. But he felt so, so tired.

He was going to die, wasn't he? In this frigid, cold dark place. Just what was he thinking, coming up on Mt. Coronet? There had been Team Galactic sightings, but he was foolish to think he would be able to find them. They weren't Team Rocket; 'course their hideout would be harder to find.

Who knows if they were even here in the first place?

_Die, damn it. I'm going to die here, it's as simple as that. Damn, damn, damn, I don't want to...I don't want to._

His lower lip began to quiver, his breathing became more erratic and his rocking intensified as his preoccupied thoughts of death began swarming around his head.

He was just too fucking arrogant, that was his fucking problem! Why couldn't he bring himself to pull out at least _one_–just _one_–of his Pokemon to help warm him? Because...it would mean that he lost to someone? It meant that he had been wrong...it meant that he couldn't make decisions by himself.

His pride was going to be the death of him. He knew it beforehand, but this situation only made it more apparent. His arrogance, his egotistic attitude, his cruel demeanor–what have they ever brought him? A world of loneliness, pain, anger...he didn't even have any friends. And the one he loved...he would never be able to tell him how much he cared for him, how much he needed him, all those pathetic emotions...

All because of this pride.

Paul blinked his eyes several times, hating himself for the tears that had started to form. Oh, now he was crying. How pathetic could he get? How much more of a loser could he be?

Just reach for his belt, get one of his Pokeballs–didn't matter which–call it out, and he would be warm. Or so very warm...just like Ash...

Ash...

But it was like he _couldn't_ do that. Like...he couldn't do anything at all...

"Paul."

He remained silent.

"_Paul_." This call was more stern. There was some movement. "Paul, you can't sleep, you hear me? If you do, you'll...uh, well..."

"I'll die, I'll die...shut-up and pay attention to yourself." _Please, please don't..._

"No. 'Sides, it's warm over here. Why don't you come over?"

"Ash...I don't _need_ your help, okay? I'm fucking fine, so quit bothering me. Your voice is getting annoying." _Don't stop caring for me, Ash, please..._

"Tch, fine then. Be that way. You can freeze to death for all I care."

"That's right, that's right, I'll die. As long as I won't be near you, it won't be half-bad." _I don't mean that Ash, surely you can tell..._

There was complete silence after that. Paul continued to bite his lip, continued to rock himself, continued to squeeze his arms together for warmth. Yes yes, his pride _was_ going to be the death of him.

**Death**.

"Haahh..." He let out, shaking his head in agony. "It can't...it's...I don't want to..." And now the tears he'd held back were streaming freely down his face. Death, death would be horrible. It would be lonely–wouldn't it be lonely? His brother, no more of him. His Pokemon, no more of them. And Ash...no more...Ash...

God damn it.

And where would he go? There was probably a special place for him, one could count on that. But it wouldn't be cold like this cave, no. It would be...

"Haah..." Paul squeezed his eyes shut; _Please, Ash...please say something. Don't stop caring, I'm begging you..._

"...Paul."

He hesitated. "...What the hell do you want?"

There was a pause. "...Are you crying?"

"..."

"Come here."

"What?"

"I said _come here_." And there was emphasis on his words.

Slowly lifting his head, the purple-haired trainer slowly gazed over at the black-haired teen. God, when had Ash's eyes gotten so...intense?

"You _are_ crying, Paul," And now Infernape and Pikachu, too, were staring over at him. "Come over here."

He forced out a chuckle, "Why should I do that? I'm fine on–"

Ash quickly shook his head. "Damn it, Paul! Shut the hell up and come over here."

Faltering for a moment, Paul slipped his arms out to fill his sleeves before he crawled over to his rival. "...Ash..."

"You can lean on me, if you want. Either way, Infernape's flame will keep us warm..."

There was some more faltering. "Ash..."

"Hm?"

Paul looked away for a second, and it was within that moment that Ash had reached out for him and yanked him closer. "See, I knew it...you were freezing. You're an idiot." He wrapped an arm around the other's waist and carefully laid him down on his lap. "You're tired, aren't you?"

There wasn't an answer.

"You can sleep now, you know...I'll make sure you're safe. We all will." And both Pikachu and Infernape agreed in their own language.

A few minutes passed between the two, the only sound that was made was the ferocious storm blowing outside.

"Ash..." Paul finally mumbled, his shivering had considerably lessened, and his fingers...at least they were feeling better now.

"Hm?"

Another pause. "...Thank you..."

"No problem..."

སྣྲ

It was the feeling of someone running their fingers through his hair that Paul had woken up with. Disoriented, he quickly shot up from his position and looked around.

And that's when he came face to face with a sleep deprived looking Ash.

"Oh...you're awake," He yawned, placing his head back on the wall behind him. "Good mornin'..."

"You idiot," Paul scolded, scurrying away from him a bit. "You...didn't sleep, did you?"

"Not a wink." He snickered as he started to stretch. "Didn't want you dying on me, y'know? Infernape, Pikachu n' I all stayed up to keep you warm."

Despite himself, Paul blushed deeply. So (he could only assume) that it was Pikachu that had been laying on his shoulder, and the warmth near his midriff...probably Infernape. The hand on his face, his hair, his neck... "Oh, sorry to hear. Is the storm over?"

Ash simply nodded before turning his attention to his Pokemon. "Good work Infernape. You deserve a nice long rest. _After_ you melt away the snow."

Infernape sent his trainer a lazy glare before dragging himself to the opening. With a deep inhalation, he breathed a strong fire attack; in a few seconds, the snow had completely melted. Ash then pulled out his Pokeball, enlarged it and called back his exhausted Pokemon. Pikachu was busy doing some weird exercises on the ground.

"How are you feeling?"

The question fazed Ash somewhat. "Uh, what? Oh...I'm feeling fine. And you?"

"Toes are still sore." He rolled his eyes and got to his feet."Let's go. I'm sure your friends are worried about you."

Ash nodded and followed him out, Pikachu directly behind them.

The two had to shield their eyes from the shining sun as they trudged out into the open. Everything was beautiful...the sky was clear blue, with a couple of Cirrus clouds floating around. Taking in a deep breath, Ash threw out his arms in relief.

"Finally!" He screamed.

Paul gritted his teeth, "Quiet, you want to cause an avalanche?"

Ash sheepishly rubbed the back of his head, "Hehe...sorry."

"Pika..."

Without another word, the three began to descend the freshly powdered Mt. Coronet. Being that it wasn't as cold as it was yesterday, the trio felt completely all right when they reached the foot of the mountain.

"Guess this is where we split up."

"...Thanks Ash."

"Hey, I said no prob."

Paul lowered his eyelids somewhat before crossing his arms. "Yeah...I know." He just stood there, staring at him for a little while. "You know, no one has ever seen me like that. Well, except my brother..."

"Who would have thought a jackass like you could actually cry." Ash teased, laughing to himself.

He was so busy cracking up that he didn't even notice that Paul had been advancing towards him. With his hand cupping the other's chin, Paul lifted his rival's head up slightly and smiled down at him. "Just you wait, Ash," He murmured, moving his face closer. "You'll probably be doing the same exact thing when you lose to Candice."

"Candice?" Ash repeated, raising one of his eyebrows. "Who's that?"

"..."

A lone wind passed through the two trainers as one of them realized how incredibly stupid and uninformed the other could be.

"...If I didn't like you so much, Ash...I would kill you right now."

He did a small double-take at Paul's admission. "W-what? Y-you actually like me?"

But he didn't get an answer. Instead, Paul just let him go, turned on his heels and headed off west. "I'll see you later."

Ash stood there for a few minutes, musing to himself. Didn't west lead straight to Snowpoint? "You know, I'm going that way too." He called, running after him.

Paul groaned (however, internally grateful). "Just my luck..."

"But seriously, who's Candice?"


	6. Seduce Me Under Your Sheets

**Prompt**: 053. What  
**Genre**: Angst, Romance  
**Rating**: T  
**Word Count**: 418  
**Summary**: Ash winced; this. Was. _Not_. Right. What the hell was wrong with him? How did he end up in his ex-boyfriend's bed?  
**A/N: **Ahh, sorry for the uke-type Ash. Now this is one of the chapters/themes that will be continued later on in the collection. So yeah, this is part 1. And thank you SO MUCH for all the reviews, favs and alerts. I love you guys.

Seduce Me Under Your Sheets

It was the deep rumbling of thunder that snapped him awake. After blinking a few times, Ash used one hand to clamp down on the white bed sheets. He bit his lip and rose a little; eyes narrowing, he scanned the room.

...Just what the hell was he doing here?! He sat up with a start, tightly grasping the heavy quilt covering him. Shouldn't he be back at his _own_ house (well, technically, it belonged to his fiancé)? What the fuck was he doing in _his_ home?

In _his_ room. In _his_ bed. Under _these _sheets?

Ash groaned as he propped an arm up on his knee, resting his forehead in his palm. Now he had to think–why was he here? How did he get here? His head didn't hurt so...there was no alcohol involved; he hadn't been drunk. But there had been...a fight? He'd stormed out angrily...

He let out a small whimper; God, he knew. He remembered. It was all slowly coming back to him–like some typical Lifetime movie. Ash opened his eyes again, and turned his head to the right...

And there was Paul, arms crossed behind his head, laying against the pillow, glaring up at him. His eyelids lowered, "Feh. Took you long enough." He growled, quickly sitting up himself.

Ash winced, and looked away from him, shutting his eyes. This wasn't right. This. Was. _Not_. Right. What the hell was wrong with him? How did he end up in his ex-boyfriend's bed?

The weight on the bed shifted and the other man leaned onto him, placing a hand on Ash's shoulder. "You should call your lil' fiancé," He murmured, his voice dripping with hatred. "I'm sure May is worried about you." And Paul pushed himself harder against Ash, placing a hand on his chest and forced the black-haired man back onto the bed.

"B-but..."

Paul pressed his lips against his, shutting him up. "The phone...you know where it is." He whispered as he moved away, staring down at him.

And Ash did _not_ like the look in Paul's listless eyes. Something was there–something _bad_. He just couldn't put a name to it.

A wide grin spread across his face, and he rolled away, settling back into the spot he was earlier. "I'll meet you downstairs, _Ash_." Was all he muttered before slipping out of the bed.

Ash watched the younger man walk out of the room. He groaned and shook his head; God damn it, just what the hell had he done?


	7. Love to See You Hurt

**Prompt**: 056. Why  
**Genre**: Angst, Romance  
**Rating**: T  
**Word Count**: 512  
**Summary**: Paul merely smiled that smile of his; he was going to love seeing that hurt look in his eyes. Maybe, if he was lucky, Ash just might breakdown...and cry.  
**A/N: **Part 2 of...3, I think. The next update might not be the continuation. Just warning you. 

Love to See You Hurt

Paul smirked to himself as he pulled out a chair from the small dining table in the kitchen. He sat down and leaned back, staring at the staircase leading up to the bedroom. Sooner or later, he'd have to come downstairs.

He tilted his head back and glared up at the ceiling. Ash was easy, his ex-boyfriend was just way too easy. It didn't take much effort (if any) to get into his pants. And it had always been that way. Maybe that was the reason why he had agreed to go out with Ash.

Paul sat back up and laid his forehead against the table as the memories of the past few hours flooded back to him. It was kind of funny...he never guessed he would be the first person Ash would call if there was a problem. Misty, yes. Brock, of course. Gary, always.

But not _him_. Not after how he treated him; their break-up had been far from pleasant.

Not that Paul was complaining.

"Tell me what happened."

He slowly brought his head up and gazed at the man standing in the doorway. "Tell you what happened?" Paul repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What, you don't remember?"

Ash gritted his teeth and looked elsewhere. "I just want to make sure I have everything right."

He pushed back his chair and immediately got up, walking over to him. "Did you tell her?"

"I'm not gonna tell her _anything_ until I get the story straight, okay?" Ash growled, still refusing to look Paul in the eyes. "So tell me how it happened. How did I end up in your bed and...did we do anything?"

Paul merely smiled that smile of his and crossed his arms. Oh, he was going to love this; he was going to love seeing that hurt look in his eyes. Hell, if he was lucky, Ash just might breakdown in front of him and cry.

Now that, _that_, he would truly love.

"What do you mean by 'anything'?"

"You damn well know what I mean." He scowled, glaring up at him. "Did we...well, you know..."

Paul moved in closer, grabbed Ash's bare shoulder and shoved him backwards. It was only when Ash stumbled and fell back onto the steps did he decide to answer. "Have sex? I think you know the answer to that question." He dropped down in front of him and smiled again. "You should go tell your fiancé–I'm sure she'd love to know you've already cheated on her. And just three weeks before you two get married."

Ash closed his eyes, "Why?"

"'Why'?" A large smile slowly found its way onto his face. "Why...I think you know the answer to that." After softly brushing Ash's cheek with the back of his hand, Paul stood and moved away from his now stunned ex-boyfriend.

"I'm making coffee, you want any?" Was the next thing he said–completely nonchalant and almost...cheerful.

There wasn't a response.

Paul didn't even try to hide his laughter.

It wasn't as if he was expecting one in the first place.


	8. It's Over

**Prompt**: 076. End  
**Genre**: Angst, Romance  
**Rating**: T  
**Word Count**: 2494  
**Summary**: And he couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, "I can't remember because I try so hard to forget everything about you."  
**A/N: **Six months later...oh damn, really sorry about that. I really need to get to my other work as well. And I'll get to regularly updating this.

It's Over

He remembered most of everything now, but just that one part...was still hazy. Ash was now standing a few steps behind Paul (after gathering his clothes and belongings from upstairs), hands on hips. The other was probably ignoring him on purpose–he was making a big show of pouring himself a cup of coffee. And he was even _whistling_ _happily_ to himself, as if everything was a-ok.

What an ass. Everything was _far_ from being 'a-ok'.

Paul's face, when he finally turned around, was completely serene. But Ash knew him too well to believe that carefully crafted facade.

"Shouldn't you going to call her?" He brought the side of his mug up to his lips, taking a small sip. He made a face indicating that it was a little too hot.

Ash placed one hand on the table, "Oh, I will." He replied, trying to keep his cool. Yelling, ranting and raving wasn't going to get him anywhere–if there was one thing he knew he shouldn't do, it was that. "Just when I get the facts straight."

His eyebrows scrunched together in fake confusion, and Paul moved his mug away from his mouth for a second. "We've already been through this, _Ash_." And he smiled. No, it wasn't just a _smile_... "Hehe...want me to call her myself, since you obviously can't? Where's your cell?"

Ash crossed his arms and squeezed his fists, resisting the urge to beat the living shit out of him. Rip that _smirk_ right off his sexy little face. He held his temper, however. That was something he was capable of doing now. "No, Paul, I can do that myself." They were just talking in circles.

Coming here (coming to _him_) was a bad decision, and Ash was also quite capable of admitting that. He obviously wasn't thinking: yes, Paul had been the closest person since him and May had decided to visit the region for a little trip. But still, he should've settled for calling someone on his cell.

It wasn't like this would be the first time he'd had an argument with her. And it probably wouldn't be the last either–they were used to it. Gary, Misty, Brock, Tracy, whoever.

Just anyone other than Paul. What had possessed Ash to call _him_ on the phone in the first place, he'd probably never know.

Or maybe it was those old feelings, old memories, all that affection he was shown...ah, regardless, it was still _very_ stupid of him.

"You were always so indecisive." Again, he took another sip. And Ash began to shake–Paul's overly exaggerated action was starting to grate on his nerves. "Imagine my surprise when I saw your name on my cell–_you _calling _me_? That'd been a first."

Yeah, even though they weren't together anymore, Ash still kept in contact. No, it was the opposite really: Paul was _always _the one who called him.

"Our break-up was hell–then again, most are. You know...I never could get over you dumping me..." Another, annoying sip and Ash grinded his teeth together. "I was so fucking excited when you called me. But I wasn't really surprised when you started talking about _her_."

The younger man stared into his cup and swirled it around, watching the steam carefully. It was like he was trying his hardest at not catching Ash's gaze. "It's always about her. 'Gotta go, Paul, May's calling me'. May this, May that. God, you have no idea how much that pissed me off." He chuckled, "Then you came here...oh Ash, you're so _easy_."

That level stare he was currently giving his coffee almost made Ash snap, "I'm _easy_, is that what you think?"

"Oh, that's what I _know_. I had to listen to your fucking crying, and whining. Yesterday was the first time we'd seen each other face-to-face in almost two years. The fact that you came to _me_..." He trailed off and smiled again–all teeth. "I endured your little angsty tale for at least an hour. And every word that came out of your mouth...you never said one thing _against_ your precious fiancée."

Paul's handle on his cup tightened, and Ash took note of that. 'Never said one thing against' May? Yeah, that fit well into what he remembered.

"You love that girl so much...; you know, whenever _we_ argued...you would always say the most hurtful things. Even if most of them...all of them were true. I just found it funny." Another fucking sip, Ash wanted to strangle him. "You never put yourself down when _we _fight, but yesterday...all you did was bash yourself. I tried insulting her once–you told me to 'shut the fuck up'. ...And when that was all done and over with..."

Ash's breath hitched–he knew what Paul was going to say next.

"You kissed me. ...Seriously, Ash, you were so easy..." He never glanced up once. "'Good things come to those who wait' indeed..."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"You really are an idiot." Paul responded, closing his eyes a little. "I finally got what I wanted yesterday." When Ash didn't say anything to that, he muttered: "You."

Ash narrowed his eyes again, taking a step forward. "Why can't you fucking _look_ at me, Paul?"

He shrugged. "Because I don't want to."

"_Look at me_."

Paul snorted. "Make me..."

And he couldn't take that overly smug expression he was getting now. Or rather, what was being given to the drink. Without warning, Ash lashed out, swiping the mug from Paul's hands.

Neither of them flinched or made a sound once it crashed to the floor; Paul merely scowled when the hot liquid splashed against his pant leg. After a little while, Ash turned his face downward, frowning when recognition finally hit him.

The ceramic, purple mug that had shattered to pieces...it was the same one he'd bought Paul a few years back. When they'd first started going out. Ash pursed his lips–even though it was completely destroyed, the white 'I Heart You' part of it was still intact (albeit, a little broken and chipped).

How...ironic.

Or not.

Since he had no where else to turn his attention, Paul finally stared over at Ash. The older man cringed–he looked so...unhappy. Almost as if he was going to cry.

"God Ash, I lo--"

"Shut-up." Ash snapped, and Paul sighed. "I don't care if you 'love me' or not. I didn't come here to hear you tell me that. You _always _tell me that."

"Then what _did _you come here for?"

"Comfort...answers."

"Bull." He rolled his eyes and leaned back against the kitchen counter. Or it was more like...he was using it to hold himself up. To keep himself from falling. "You didn't come for 'comfort'. And you sure as hell didn't come to me for answers, because that's what you want _now_. I know what you wanted, my dear Ash. You came for-"

"No. Be quiet. That's what _you _want. Don't confuse us. That's almost like an insult." Ash turned to the side and went on, ignoring the fact that Paul was currently sliding to the ground. "I want to know what happened...after we went to your bedroom. That's _all_ I need to know. Then I'm going."

Paul tilted his head back against counter, staring up at his ex-boyfriend pitifully. "I don't understand why you can't remember..."

Ash caught a glimpse of him from the corner of his eyes...and he couldn't stop the words from tumbling out of his mouth, "I can't remember because I try so hard to forget everything about you."

No...that wasn't true at all...

For a split second, Paul's eyes widened, but they returned to normal moments later. "Nothing..."

Ash faced him, completely astonished. "What?"

Paul shook his head, "Nothing, we didn't do anything." Like before, he stared off somewhere else...right at the broken pieces. "God knows I wanted us to. We kissed, we made out, we got into my bed...by the time I got my shirt off, you'd fallen asleep. Hah...how convenient."

At those words, Ash felt his shoulders sag in momentary relief. _I'm still a cheating bastard._

And, before Paul could say a word, Ash made his way out of the kitchen and entered the living room. He'd fallen asleep...and that was the reason why everything was so hazy... When he was far enough away, he pulled out his cell phone and pressed her number on speed dial.

After a few seconds of her ringtone (_Together Forever_, or something like that), she finally picked up.

"A-Ash?"

He couldn't help but crack a small smile when he heard her voice. "May...hey."

"Where are you?"

_She sounds pretty worried. Can't blame her, though. _"I'm just crashing at Paul's place." He paused for a second, closing his eyes. "I...I'm so sorry about yesterday." Right when Ash said that, he heard a low chuckling that was _not_ from her.

"Yesterday? Ash, I'm sorry too. I shouldn't have flipped on you like that. Hehe."

He laughed softly too and turned around, eyeing the source of that noise.

Paul. He had his arms crossed, and his face eerily calm...

Ash made a face at him. "I worried you, didn't I? Sorry, I should've called you last night to tell you where I was."

"You should have, but you were too busy with _me_." Paul whispered, smirking.

"Yeah, I was worried." Ash could almost imagine May shrugging right now, trying to act nonchalant. "You're coming back soon, though, right?"

"Yeah, ten...twenty minutes at the most." He paused again, "Sorry." _About everything._

"About what?"

And Ash knew what May meant by saying that: it was their own little 'forgive and forget'. "To tell you the truth, I don't really remember." He glanced up again, and was relieved that Paul had left. "I'll explain _everything_ when I get back, May."

"Alright Ash... Love you!"

"Love you too. See ya later." Ash turned off his cell and let out a heavy sigh.

There was going to be hell to pay for this. And although he really, _really_ didn't want to tell her all that had happened...he knew he had to.

Ash scowled to himself, walking back into the kitchen to announce that he was leaving. Well _that_, and yell at him for saying that shit before. Paul was currently kneeling on the floor, picking up the broken pieces and looking completely bored.

_Maybe I should apologize for breaking that. _Just when Ash was about to say something, he stopped.

"Idiot." Paul started clenching the shards in his fists tightly; Ash took a step back, his voice stopping in his throat. His eyes narrowed–fuck, just what the hell was that dumbass doing to himself?

Paul slowly began to tremble and brought his hands up his face, shaking his head. "Maybe if I was just a little bit..." Ash continued to stare, feeling the dread creeping up on him. He couldn't even hear the rest of what he'd said.

Finally, Paul brought his hands down from his face, staring at the ground like he was in a daze. And there were streaks of red staining his cheeks...

Red...red.

Ash quickly crossed the kitchen and left the house through the back door. Once he was outside, he took a deep breath of the humid air. He leaned back against the door and started to calm himself down.

God, he couldn't stand the sight of blood, it made him queasy.

And he'd seen it so much when he was with Paul.

But none of it was ever _his_.

...damn.

Swiping the back of his hand on his forehead, Ash reopened the door and carefully walked back inside.

Face serious, nerves calmed and breath held, he peaked back into the kitchen.

And there was Paul, expression completely blank, standing at the sink. He was washing his hands while the faucet poured out hot, steaming water at full blast.

Damn, he was such a fool for doing this. "I'm...leaving now."

Paul nodded and turned off the water, acting as if he didn't care...

"Uh...thanks for letting me stay here."

"Right."

"I'm sorry about the–"

"Don't worry about it."

Ash sighed and rubbed the side of his head. "See you later, Paul."

They both knew that was a lie. 'See you later'? As if...

"Whatever..."


	9. Crack, Boom

**Prompt**: 067. Thunder  
**Genre**: Fluff, Humor  
**Rating**: K  
**Word Count**: 582  
**Summary**: Who knew Mr. Cold and Serious Paul was _so_ afraid of thunder? If only Dawn, Brock and Pikachu could see him right now!

Crack, Boom

I almost laughed.

Almost.

But I did smile; not in front of _him_, of course. I just turned my head a little this way, and silently giggled to myself.

It was too cute: seeing him huddled on his bed, looking away from the window. Lucky for him, we were sharing rooms tonight.

Trying to make my face look more concerned (which was pretty unsuccessful), I sat down next to him. Paul shook once but quickly put on his usual serious face, wincing a little when he noticed the lightning flash outside.

Before I could say a word, he plugged up his ears with his fingers and leaned against me.

Only moments later, there was a loud crack of thunder; he gasped and shut his eyes. "What do you want?"

If only Dawn, Brock and Pikachu could see Paul right now! They'd probably laugh, or go 'Awww' or something. Wouldn't blame them. Who knew Mr. Cold and Serious Paul was _so_ afraid of thunder?

"I was gonna go to the dining area." He quickly sat up, giving me a frustrated look. I continued, "To get something to drink, something warm. It's kinda cold in here. ...I wanted to know if you wanted anything?"

Another flash of lightning, and rain and hail began hitting the window harder. Paul grimaced and covered his ears again. I waited a few seconds and cringed when this _boom_ made the whole PokeCenter shake.

I'll admit, that one kind of scared me.

Paul sighed and rubbed his forehead, "You're leaving me?"

He made it sound so much worse than it really was. "Well yeah..." I looked over at the bedside lamp sitting on the table. "Not for long though, obviously. I'll be back soo--"

"I'll follow you." He interrupted, not looking me in the eyes. Paul bit his lower lip and then glared at me: "You think it's funny, don't you?"

"Eh, what?"

He shuffled closer to me, "That I'm acting like this. I know you do. I can tell by your face, Ash." He leaned in and I had to lean back.

"No, that's not it!" I quickly got to my feet, moving away from him. He kept his position on the bed and simply stared. "I think it's cute, that's all."

"...Cute?"

That wasn't the right thing to say. He looked about ready to kill me now. Thankfully, there was another flash outside and that stopped him from doing anything. By the time the thunder had come and gone, I was by the door of our room.

Paul glared again.

Eh, I was used to it.

"I told you that I was following."

I sent him a shrug, "That's fine. Just don't try to strangle me, please."

He didn't say anything to that. Instead, he just got up and began walking over to me–no wait, he started rushing when a streak of lightning came down again. Grabbing my shirt, he pulled the door open and dragged me outside right when there was another crash of thunder.

For a split second, his grip on me tightened; Paul slackened his hold moments later. Then, without saying a word, he shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking down the hallway.

...Oh man, I couldn't help myself. I ran up to him and wrapped my arms around his waist from behind. "You're so cute, Paul!"

He whirled around and punched me in the arm for that.

Hard.

And it hurt.

_So bad_.


End file.
